After Implementation: Why Long-Term Support Is Key to Salesforce Success

Ongoing support and continuous process improvement within Salesforce CRM are what allow your system to evolve, grow with your business and deliver long-term value.

In our Salesforce Consulting Guide, we covered in detail the topics of preparing for an implementation and the Salesforce implementation process itself.

Now we continue with what happens once the implementation is complete, and why maintenance and support play a key role in the long-term success of your Salesforce solution.

Salesforce (has to) grow with your business

When we say the implementation is done, it means the solution is in place and working as planned: all the functionality is there, workflows are aligned, and everything has been tested and is ready to use.

The question is: What comes next?

As the saying goes, "nothing is finished until it's sustainable in the long run". Implementation is only the first step, like moving into a new house: everything is ready, but it's just the beginning of your journey with the system. You still have to keep maintaining and adapting it as your company grows and evolves.

Maintenance isn't just fixing bugs, it's development and progress

As your company grows, so must your Salesforce system.

Maintenance means continuously adapting the system to new business needs, adding new functionality and integrations, and solving the challenges that come up in day-to-day work.

Think of it as your house. Once you move in, you have to maintain it regularly. You may want to expand the space, add new features, maybe even decide to renovate…

The same goes for your Salesforce system.

As your company grows, Salesforce grows with you.

When you hire new colleagues, expand into new markets, open new departments or launch new lines of business, Salesforce is there to support you.

So system maintenance isn't just "fixing bugs".

Ongoing Salesforce support means developing and adapting the system, including enhancements, scaling, and aligning the system with your evolving business needs.

Many companies choose to handle these things in-house, but you can just as well delegate these tasks to the partner that did the implementation. At EQS, most of our clients stay with us after the implementation, because we provide ongoing support and system maintenance through our EQS Care packages.

What does Salesforce support after implementation include?

Below are just a few examples of what can be included, but a package can always be built around your unique needs:

Troubleshooting and resolving issues

Like any system, Salesforce can occasionally run into problems. Whether it's technical errors or integrations that fail from time to time, maintenance is there to resolve them and make sure your team can keep using the system without disruption.

Further enhancements based on user requests

As your company grows, its requirements change too. Maintenance allows for continuous improvement of the system in line with your new business needs. That can mean adding new functionality as well as improving existing tools.

Scaling the system and new functionality

As your company grows, your system needs to be able to support a growing workload. That means adding new functionality or expanding the system's capacity so it can handle more data and more users.

Implementing new solutions and features

Salesforce is a tool that is constantly improving. Maintenance includes integrating the new solutions and features Salesforce offers, so your system is always up to date and ready for the future.

Ongoing training and support for your team

As your headcount grows and new features appear in Salesforce, it's important that your team is trained continuously so they can make the best possible use of the new tools.

EQS Care packages: Support that grows with you

When choosing a partner to support and maintain your Salesforce system, it's important to pick one that understands your business and provides the right level of support.

Some clients want only basic support, while others want a comprehensive package with additional services.

EQS offers a range of EQS Care support packages for Salesforce, and our philosophy is that every plan should be tailored to the needs of your business. If a standard package isn't specific enough for you, we'll gladly work with you to create a plan that fits your requirements perfectly.

Our Salesforce maintenance and support service includes (but is not limited to) Salesforce administration, development, consulting and business analysis, as well as training for your team so they can make the most of Salesforce's capabilities.

If you want your Salesforce system to be resilient to change and ready for the challenges of the future, EQS is here to help.

The best advice we can give you when choosing a Salesforce support partner is to pick someone who will align Salesforce with your strategic goals.

At EQS, you get a team for whom Salesforce is the core business, not a sideline. On the intro call, we tell you by name who will be working on your system and what that person did before.

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Join us for the next article, where we'll explain why some Salesforce investments don't deliver the expected value. We'll show how strategic planning, setting measurable goals and tracking results can help you get real value from your investment, which is also the core of the methodology we apply at EQS.